Silicon Alley Insider reports on data from research firm NPD showing that U.S. Mac sales were up 7% year-over-year during the months of July and August, ahead of most analysts' projections. The data, reported by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, also shows a 16% decline in year-over-year iPod sales, a performance slightly below analysts' expectations.
Munster says NPD data from July and August show Mac sales up 7% year-over-year through August, while the Street is expecting 5% year-over-year growth for the quarter.
Back-to-school sales in the first few months of the quarter probably helped, but at least Apple could handle some deceleration this month and still meet expectations. (And Apple's international growth, not represented in NPD's figures, should help, too.)
Apple noted during its most recent earning conference call that it expects the market for Apple's traditional MP3 players to decline as users increasingly opt for the company's iPod touch or iPhone models. The introduction of new video camera-equipped iPod nano models at last week's "It's Only Rock and Roll" media event, however, may provide a boost to Apple's "traditional MP3 player" segment over the last few weeks of the quarter.
